The dream faded from behind Eirwen's closed eyes seconds before she opened them. Only scarps of images remained. They faded away like snowflakes. Her right hand was stretched out ahead of her, fingers spread wide. It was always the same lately.

Eirwen took stock of the empty hallway. Moonlight streamed in through the wide windows unhindered by curtains. Those had been sold off to traveling merchants some time ago. Fabric like that didn't go for much but it was enough to get them by. It was easier with just the three of them in the castle now.

The stones were cold under Eirwen's bare feet but it was nothing she couldn't handle. Heldie always remarked on the girl's temperature running cold.

Besides the unlit torches the hallway was barren. Not a single piece of furniture nor decoration remained. Anyone would guess it was a prison from the stark emptiness. The northern wing where Eirwen found herself now was the first to lose everything. It had once been where her parent's rooms were but Heldie had never stayed there even when she married the king and became the queen.

Heldie and Eirwen resided in the southern wing now and Ryker often took to sleeping wherever his steps took him. They'd found him everywhere from the stables to the old servant's quarters. There was no one to argue with where he slept anymore, even though he did have a permanent room down the hall from Eirwen. He hadn't slept there since she turned ten, almost a year after her father died.

"I don't have time for this," Eirwen said to herself. The late night sleepwalking was a nuisance to her rigid cleaning schedule. Tomorrow Ryker was meant to return with fresh meat and she was finally allowed to help him butcher it. Before she could even think about doing that there was laundry to wash, mending to finish, and as always the never ending dusting. There was nothing like an empty castle to attract dust.

A cold breeze rustled the bottom of her nightgown as she hurried across the courtyard. Spring was only weeks away. Her birthday would follow not long after that. With some luck Heldie would consider thirteen old enough to go into town. They'd go together, of course, but maybe at fifteen she'd be wise enough to go alone.

Heldie worried too much in Eirwen's opinion. The assanation of her parents was long behind them. If anyone wanted to take care of Eirwen in the same way they'd have done so by now.

She paused halfway across the courtyard, eyes drawn to a heavily shadowed corner. A memory of a dream tickled her mind. A sweet smell crept into her nose. For just a second she could hear her name whispered by an unfamiliar voice. A hand reached out of the shadows to offer her a bright red apple.

In the next second the mirage was gone.

The castle was only shadows and memories now. Neither did Eirwen any good. Her memories from before Heldie were blurry at best and more often than not she felt like she'd forgotten something important. Heldie didn't like to talk about the past either. It wasn't off limits exactly but she was quick to remind Eirwen to live in the present. Then she'd disappear into the southern tower where Eirwen was forbidden to go.

The top of the tower was clearly visible from the courtyard. One window faced Eirwen but she'd seen another on the other side facing the forest. It was a perfect look out for anyone waiting for trouble.

It was also an excellent way for Eirwen to be caught out of bed when she was meant to be tucked away safely inside. She slipped through a side door, wincing at the dirt she tracked in. There was no time to clean the evidence now.

She ran on tiptoes through the wide corridors. From the walls, howling wolves stitched dark green fabric onto watched her every step. As a child she'd thought they really did watch her and report back to Heldie. Their heads flung back to howl at her late night adventures.

The tapestries with her crest were the only signs of wealth left in the southern wing. They'd replaced the tapestries with her mother's crest not long after her father began to court her. Only one of the old tapestries remained. Eirwen kept it hidden under her bed with a red ribbon and a small knife gifted to her by her father.

Eirwen took a deep breath as the door to her room closed behind her. Her racing heart was in her throat trying to choke out the air she fought to pull into her lungs. This room was as plain as the rest of the castle. A narrow bed took up the left wall and the mostly empty wardrobe took up the right wall. Only a few patch covered dresses took up the space inside along with a heavy winter cloak.

Against the window overlooking the courtyard, Eirwen had squeezed in a three legged stool where she could tend to the mending when it was too cold to take it outside. The room was functional and liveable, that was all she needed. It gave her the room to dream of what was beyond the walls.

Eirwen slid the window open and leaned into the night air. In her mind she smelled the ocean. She'd never been anywhere near it but in her dreams she saw it often. Her mother had spoken of it once, Eirwen was sure of that. Maybe it had been a river? A channel? A pinprick of pain stabbed at the side of her head. The memory faded out of reach.

With a sigh she settled back into bed. A breeze carried the smell of elderberries into her room. The rich sweetness turned her stomach but she made no move to close the window. Instead, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

A voice called her name as she stood on the edge of sleep. The soft tones traced cold fingers through her hair and across her forehead. Goosebumps followed her into sleep.

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"She's watching me again," Eirwen said. The bird perched in front of her chirped. What she wouldn't give for someone to talk to who could answer back. Birds were no good.

She waved away the sparrow who only chirped more incessantly. "You're a pest. If I find you've made a mess on the sheets again I'll have you for lunch," she threatened.

The midday sun illuminated every bit of the courtyard. It reflected off the puddles left behind from her useless scrubbing. No one came to visit anymore and they certainly wouldn't give a damn about what the floors outside looked like. But if Heldie said clean, Eirwen could only nod and obey. It filled the hours of the day at least.

The clock on the shelf chimed two times, each chime louder than the last. Eirwen pulled her short black back with a worn purple headband. It was a poor replacement for the golden tiara she'd grown up with. Heldie had sold it years ago to pay for some herbs. It didn't matter, there were as many people there to see her as there were to see the courtyard.

The empty bucket thumped against her thigh on her way back to the old well. The rope and pulley was barely holding together after so many years of disrepair. Ryker did what he could but he was better at hunting than crafting. One day it would fall apart completely and their water would come from the river. Eriwen didn't look forward to that daily trek.

Eirwen leaned over the opening of the well and attached the bucket to the frayed rope. It splashed into the water below, the sound echoing up the shaft. A brush against her ankle startled Eirwen out of her daze. She looked down and smiled at the dark green snake moving slowly over her left foot. "Well hello there, little friend," Eirwen whispered, scoping the snake up in her hand. It twined its body around her fingers. "You shouldn't be here. Stepmother doesn't like little things like you."

The snake's tongue flicked out at her followed by a soft hiss. It settled down into the palm of her hand. Eirwen leaned back over the well and sighed. "My mother always told me that this was a wishing well. Do you believe in wishes?" she asked the snake. "All I had to do was call down into the well, and if you hear an echo your wish comes true."

Down below, the bucket bobbed in the water. How many days had she spent hours staring at that water so far down, wishing something would answer her back? Eirwen set the snake down and pulled hard on the rope to pull the full bucket back up. It knocked against the sides until it hung suspended at her head level. The splashes from the well stopped and the darkness became silent.

"I miss mama and papa so much. I just wish I had someone to love me again," Eirwen called into the well. Her voice echoed back after a moment. It was small and weak, like it had gone through weeks of journey to get back to her. "Just a well."

She moved away, full bucket heavy in her hand. The icy water splashed over the sides to chill her hand. The scrubbing always left her knuckles raw. Her dresses didn't fare much better. The next time Ryker brought home a large enough hide she would try her hand at leatherworking. A pair of pants like his would hold up far better than the cotton dresses.

Eirwen turned to the side of the courtyard nearest to the castle walls. A motion in one of the upper windows caught her eye. She shouted a quick greeting to Heldie as her shadow passed by the window. Heldie had her own chores to tend to if they wanted to have enough dried food for the colder months.

The bucket made a solid thunk against the stones where she set it down. More water escaped. "I wouldn't say no to a new bucket for my birthday."

"Hello."

Eirwen spun, accidentally kicking over the rest of the bucket. Water splashed over her feet to soak her shoes.

A young man stood across the courtyard from her. His dark red cloak was covering one shoulder, leaving the white sleeve of the other completely exposed. Small tears in the fabric showed smooth skin beneath. The sun glinted off his bright green eyes. He took a step towards her with a wide smile. A gap was clearly visible between his two front teeth.

"I didn't mean to frighten you," he said.

"You can't be here."

"I promise, I'm not here to harm you. I was just..." he trailed off, grimacing as he shifted his cloak.

"Just what?" she prompted.

"I was out for a ride on my horse and I saw this place. It looked abandoned."

"Where did you come from?" Eirwen took a step back towards him. This was the first person she'd seen in years besides Heldie and Ryker. Besides that, he didn't look much older than her. Even before her parents died there weren't many other children in the castle. The baker had a son training under him but he was five years older than her and always busy. Now he was gone with all the others.

The man removed his hat, turning it slowly in his hands. "From the west, maybe a day or two on horseback," he answered. He straightened his rumpled clothes. "May I know your name?" He'd yet to take another step towards her.

Eirwen shook her head, flinching back again. "I shouldn't, you're a stranger. You might try to kill me," she whispered. They'd never caught her mother's murderer after all. Heldie loved to remind her of that. After she'd personally seen to the torture of half the staff, she'd made sure Eirwen knew that there was danger at every turn.

"Why would I ever want to kill you?" he asked.

"Don't you know what happened here? Everyone knows." When he shook his head, Eirwen furrowed her brow. He was lying, everyone knew about the vicious attacks on her mother and the deep mourning that had taken her father's life. They all knew but no one had ever come to help. Heldie had been the only one to care for her.

He held his hands up and away from his body. "My name is Ezekial. My horse's name is Loreth, he's waiting just down the road. At least, I hope he is. The big lug has been known to wander." He sighed tiredly.

Eirwen stifled a chuckle behind her hand. "You didn't tie him to anything?"

"Oh no, I was worried about wolves. I heard them howling the other night. If something comes for him, I want him to be able to defend himself," Ezekiel explained.

The wolves had become more and more of a problem in recent years. On some nights, Eirwen could hear them as clearly as if they'd been standing next to her. Those were the nights she was thankful to have Ryler around. Nothing could escape his keen eyes.

Eirwen stepped so the well was between them. "My name is Eirwen. I... I don't have a horse," she told him. "You should go now, to make sure Loreth is safe."

Ezekiel checked the position of the sun and nodded. "I think you're right." He bowed so low his hair almost brushed the ground. "It was my greatest pleasure to meet you, Eirwen." He turned and ran at the wall, bracing his first foot against it and launching himself to the top. One leg was already over the edge when she called out to him.

"Maybe you'll come back? If you're nearby." she asked.